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Factors That Facilitate Performance Of The Night Prayer

Shaykh Ahmed Fareed

Know that regular performance of the night prayer is very difficult except for those whom Allah `azza wa jall guides. There are seven external and internal factors that facilitate performance of this prayer.

Even kings of this world do not allow seclusion and intimate discourse with them except to the people who obey them, whom they love and who are sincere to them.

Some said to Ibn Mas`ood, may Allah be pleased with him, “We are unable to perform the night prayer.” He told them: “Your sins are distancing you (from it).”

Someone said to al Hasan al Basri: “We are unable to perform the night prayer so prescribe me a cure.” He said, “Do not disobey Him during the day and He will help you stand before Him during the night.”

Ath-Thawri said, “I was prevented from standing in prayer at night for five months due to a sin I had committed.”

Al-Hasan al-Basri, may Allah have mercy on him, when he would enter the market and heard all that people say in it from shouting and vain talk, he would say:

“I think that these have bad nights.” All types of sins contribute to hardness of the heart and prevent from performance of the night prayer, even though some sins are more harmful than others, such as eating what is haram. On the other hand, eating what is halal, like few other things, cleans the heart and guides it to what is good. This is best known by those who watch and control their hearts, due to experiencing it, after the Sharee`ah's testimony to it. This is why some of them right said, “How many bites have prevented performance of the night prayer! How many glances have prevented recitation of a Quranic soorah! Verily the slave eats a bite or does an action and because of it he is prevented standing in performance of the sunnah (i.e. the night prayer).”